Hoh Xil

　　   Hoh Xil is located at the border between Tibet and Qinghai, and is currently one of the regions with the most perfectly preserved primeval ecological environment in the world. It is also one of China’s largest nature reserves in terms of area, highest in elevation, and richest in wildlife resources. “Hoh Xil” in Mongolian means “green mountain ridge” (some say it means “beautiful girl,” depending on pronunciation). In Tibetan, the area is called “Ache Gongga.” The region is home to the first-class nationally protected animal — the Tibetan antelope.

　　       Hoh Xil lies in the heart of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, with an average elevation of over 4,600 meters. Its highest peak is Bukadaban Peak (also known as Xinqing Peak or Monomah Peak) on the northern edge of the Kunlun Mountains, at an altitude of 6,860 meters; its lowest point is Baozi Gorge (where the Hongshui River crosses through a bend at the southern foot of the Kunlun Mountains), at an altitude of 4,200 meters. The terrain within the area is higher in the north and south, lower in the middle, higher in the west, and lower in the east. The Hoh Xil Mountain Range and the Dongbule Mountain Range traverse the central part of the area, with two broad valley-lake basin belts between the mountains, where the terrain is relatively flat. Mountainous areas above 5,500 to 6,000 meters have developed modern glaciers. Examples include Bukadaban Peak (6,860 meters) and Malan Mountain (6,813 meters). A few peaks exceeding 5,600 meters also have small-scale glaciers, such as Donggangzhari (5,882 meters), with a total glacier area of more than 1,700 square kilometers.